Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy and
First Evangelical, Fonda
A myth is a story of unknown origin that tries to explain why something is
the way it is. For example there is a story about a soldier named Achilles,
who lived about 1,200 years before Christ. According to the myth, his mother
dipped him in a river (Styx) so nothing could harm him. But since his mother
held him by the heels, that part was weak. During the 10 year battle against
Troy, he was shot by a poison arrow in his heel. Very little of that story has
any authenticity or proof. But this myth is used to give an idea that the most
unbeatable idea or person always has at least one weak spot: an Achilles' heel.
When a war is going on, people look for an Achilles' heel. It is much
easier to destroy some one or some thing if you find a weakness to attack
rather than the strong point. Satan is always looking to destroy and kill you.
He was looking for the Achilles' heal of Jesus. If Jesus was defeated all
would be lost.
This account is not a myth. Luke reports a real event. It is NOT told so
we know why there is temptation, or how we overcome it. But we do see how
the devil attacks us, too; and we sin. This is recorded so we see Jesus
conquered Satan for us, so we will believe in His victory for us and live in
Christ's conquest.
Christ took on our sins, and He was tempted in our place not just for
forty days but all His life. But these forty days were especially intense.
Some might think that because Jesus is God He can't sin. But Christ is also
100% man, so He was tempted in every way as we were, but without sin.
Satan begins with an "if". He wants us to doubt God's claim on us in Holy
Baptism. He wants us to doubt God's love for us. He does this for us when
things don't seem to be going well for us: illness, lack of money, trouble in
school, or the like. "Why doesn't God do something?" We ask.
Unlike the first temptation in the Garden where food is plentiful, Jesus
is tempted in a wilderness when He is at His weakest. Satan told Him to doubt
the Father's giving of daily bread, take matters into His own hands, and solve
the problem.
Don't you get tempted the same way? When someone does something you don't
like, isn't it much easier to use your power to write an evil note, spread
vicious gossip, or try to get them in trouble? The Christian route is to love
them, try to solve the hurt, and above all forgive them. Satan tells you to
take matters into your own hands, don't suffer, and don't trust God. So you
don't.
For many, this is their Achilles' heel. Like a Tiger Woods, who trusts in
his own ability and feels he could take what he wanted; or who. Satan looks
for your weak spot and tells you to do what YOU want and don't listen to God.
Yes, Christians fail this way.
In a second temptation, Satan claims to be able to give Jesus the whole
world, if only He will ignore God's 3rd Commandment. The idea that IF Satan
may or may not be able to do this is better left to an adult Bible class. We
will focus on the temptation itself.
Satan uses the world around us to tempt us this way today. 'Skip worship
time to earn more money.' 'Your friends are more important than faith, so
spend all your time with them.' 'Look to yourself for beauty, power, and
peace.' All these are lies of Satan directed toward you. Satan and all the
demons observe you and the entire world. They look for what you want. They
offer it to you and say it is yours when you take your eyes off the cross: for
a moment, or for a lifetime. And we do.
Jesus was also truly tempted with this. He could win the world and avoid
the wrath of the Father on the cross an all of the suffering.
A third test Luke records is: "tell God to do something to prove He is
trustworthy or just prove He exists!' He may use logic and reason from the
Scriptures. "If God will prove Himself by healing you, you can trust in
heaven." Or maybe "If you obey God, He will bless you." There might even be
Bible passages picked carefully to back this up. It may sound reasonable.
Two people may feel they are right, and go against the commandments: all
the while feeling it is okay since God will forgive them. A man may think
since God loves me, my wise investments will be protected. And it goes on.
While reason, like emotions and other gifts from the Lord, can be used in
matters of faith, it is not reason or emotions or any other gift that should be
above the greatest gift: faith. But we poor miserable sinners often expect
God to agree with us when we feel a certain way or rationalize our actions.
Jesus was tempted to go against "Thou shalt not kill" (Thyself), because
God's Word promises elsewhere we are protected. Satan may use that same sort
of lure on you with some other promise vs. a commandment. One that I have
heard recently is "IF God is love, there can be no hell;" ignoring other places
where God is very clear there IS a hell and it is eternal. Another is "IF I am
saved, then I can't go to hell." This also ignores many Bible verses that warn
us we can fall away from faith.
It is sad that so many people look at the Bible and the life of Jesus like
a myth. They will see the temptation of Christ as a "how-to" guide to defeat
sin. While it is true that God's Word IS powerful and CAN defeat the devil
[and it is true that you SHOULD resist the devil and temptation], it is also
true and must never be forgotten that even our best efforts will never be
enough. We will fail.
But it is not our obedience that saves us. Faith in Christ alone saves us.
Jesus actively lived the holy life we could never life. He obeyed EVERY
one of the Commandments perfectly. He did not just get a passing grade or be
better than most others. For us to be saved, Christ had to be our Substitute
in life. Jesus, Who was 100% man, had to be tempted, enticed, coaxed, lured,
and pulled by all the same sins as us. BUT He could not fail even once. For
us to go to heaven there had to be Someone who had perfect righteousness in our
place. Jesus did that.
Jesus actively did what we could never do: be tempted but never sin.
Even on the cross, Jesus was tempted with Satan's accusations: 'IF You are the
Son of God, come down from there!" He had no Achilles' heel. So then Jesus
passively submitted to God's anger in our place for all our failures to resist
temptation.
For us as Christians, our comfort is not "look at how well I resist sins"
(pietism). We do not look at anything we do. We each have at least one
Achilles' heel, and in truth we have many. So we trust God's saving power in
the life and death of Christ.
When we are overcome with guilt for our failures to fear, love, and trust
in God above all things we do not think: "I'll just try harder next time." We
have comfort in the promises of God: forgiveness, life, and salvation in
Christ. We live in the victory of the Man, Christ Jesus, Who over-came all
temptation for us. We respond to His love by leading Godly lives, resisting
temptation, and telling our friends and neighbors about Christ. But our only
hope is in Christ our Lord Who lived and died for us.
God grant we see Christ's victory for us in His temptation, and always
believe it is ours! In Jesus' Name.
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people thru the wilderness and brought them to
the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior
we may walk thru the wilderness of this world to the glory of the world to com;
thru Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen
